Tie for concrete forms



Dec. 7, 1937. D. c. HUNGERFORD TIE FOR CONCRETE FORMS ATTORNEYS INVENTOR Filed Nov. 1, 1934 Patented Dec; 7, 1937 UNITED STATES 'TIE Foa CONCRETE FORMS Daniel C. Hungerford, Chalfont, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Star Expansion Bolt Company, New York, N. Y.,

Illinois a corporation of Application November 1, 1934, Serial No. 750,921

8 Claims.

This invention relates to ties for concrete forms.

It is common practice to use tie rods and wedges between rod abutments and concrete forms to hold the forms in position. Forms are often built up from the lumber at hand and such lumber may vary materially in dimensions. The wedges can take up only slight variations.

This invention has for its salient object to provide a tie rod so constructed as to be adapted for use with lumber of varying dimensions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tie rod and wedge so relatively constructed and arranged that the wedge can be used to twist and shear the rod when the concrete has set and the forms are to be stripped.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tie rod so anchored that the rod can be readily and quickly broken or twisted off within the concrete.

. Another object of the invention is to provide means on a tie rod abutting the inside of the form or sheathing so constructed and arranged that it can be easily removed after the concrete has set.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the drawing which forms a part of this application and in which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation showing a tie and a concrete form held in place thereby;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation showing the wedge and tie rod ina plurality of relative positions;

Fig. 3 is a front elevationalview of the wedge;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation of the wedge;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the cone which is disposed against the inner surface of the sheathing.

The invention briefly described consists of a tie for concrete forms comprising a rod having at one or at both ends thereof a plurality of heads or abutments and a wedge adapted to engage and coact with any one of the heads to hold the concrete forms in position. The invention further comprises means on the rod arranged to be disposed within the concrete for holding the rod from twisting or turning and means on the wedge arranged to coact with an end portion of the rod to permit the wedge to be used in twisting the rod to shear off the rod after the concrete has set and the forms are to be stripped.

secure the concrete form in position.

The invention further comprises a conical abutment adapted to be positioned within the concrete and abutting the inner surface of the sheathing and arranged to be withdrawn after the concrete has set. This conical abutment member is preferably formed of some substance, such as wood, which will expand or swell when wet, but will contract or shrink when it dries, thus facilitating its removal.

Further details of the invention will appear from the following description.

In the embodiment of the invention illu strated in Fig. 1 there is shown a tie comprising a rod I having formed on or secured to each end thereof a plurality of heads or abutments H, l2 and I3. These heads are spaced apart and the wedge Wcan be used in conjunction with any one of the heads to tighten the form parts and It will be noted that the oppositely facing parts of the heads ll, 12 and I3 are spaced apart a distance less than the maximum take-up of the wedge. Thus, when the wedge is fully driven under one of the outer heads without adequate tightening, it can be redriven against the next inner head.

The form may be made up in any desired manner and as illustrated comprises sheathing made up of boards l which are engaged by beams 16 and outside of the beams are positioned walers or cross beams I I, I8.

The boards or sheathing l5 are held in position by conical abutment members 20 which are recessed, as shown at 2|, to provide clearance,

. around the rod l0 and are positioned with the large ends of the cone engaging the inner surface of the sheathing.

The conical abutment members are in turn held in position by transverse abutment members or clips 22 which are positioned on the rod and are disposed at the inner ends of the cones or within the concrete .after the concrete has been poured in the form. The members 22 may be of any desired construction and. in the form of the invention shown consist of U-shaped clips which straddle the rod and engage flattened portions or notches 23. v

The wedge W is concaved in section, as shown in Fig. 4, and has a longitudinal notch 25 in its outer inclined surface 26. At the lower end of the notch is an opening 21 dimensioned to receive the heads on the end of the rod. The wedge has flat bearing portions 28 and 29 which form the inner surface and engage the outer surface of the walers or beams 11 and I8.

The wedge W has also formed thereina square notch 30 which communicates with the opening 21 and the outer end of the rod is provided with a projecting portion 3|, square in section and dimensioned to fit within the notch 30.

The use of the device is clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 wherein it will be seen that the sheathing I5 is firmly positioned between the cone 20 and the beams l6 and further that the beams l6 and sheathing are firmly held by the action of the wedges against the walers or cross beams I1, l8. The wedge can be used in conjunction with any one of the heads II, I! or I3 and it should be noted that when the wedge is engaging and coacting with one of the heads, such as head I2, the longitudinal recess or tapered concave recess therein will receive the head l3. The provision of a plurality of heads on the tie rod, in additionto giving a considerable latitude in the take-up of the rod, serves another and important use. For instance, a lever can be inserted under the outer head and the forms can be tightened thereby and then a Wedge can be inserted in back of another head, such as the inner head, which would otherwise be inaccessible.

After the concrete has set and the forms are to be stripped the wedge W will be raised and removed from the rod, thus releasing the forms and the end 3| of the rod will be engaged by the square notch 30 in the wedge whereupon the wedge will be rotated or twisted and the rod will be broken at the point X since the portion of the rod beyond the clip 22 will be held against rotation. When the concrete has set the cones 20 can be removed and this removal is facilitated since the cones, if formed of wood, will shrink when dried.

It will be obvious that the provision of a plurality of heads at the end of the rod or at the ends of the rod will permit the use of lumber of varying dimensions and that it will not be necessary to have the lumber used in the form cut to fit the exact dimensions of the rod.

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been particularly shown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of' the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I,claim is:

1. In combination, a tie rod having a head adjacent one end and a portion, having flat sides, adjacent said head, a wedge having an opening to receive said head and a slot dimensioned to receive the rod and having a notch communicating with ,the opening dimensioned to fit the fiat sided portion of the 'rod.

2. In combination, a tie rod having a head adjacent one end and a squared portion on the rod beyond said head, a wedge having an opening to receive said head and a slot dimensioned to receive the rod and having a square notch at one end ofthe wedge and communicating with the opening to fit the squared portion of the rod.

- 3. A wedge for tie rods having a plurality of heads, said wedge having an inner bearing surface formed by spaced bearing faces and having an outer surface inclined relative to the inner bearing surface, said outer inclined surface having a longitudinal slot therethrough aligned with the space between the spaced bearing faces of the inner bearing surface and said outer surface having an enlarged opening therethrough at the narrow end of the wedge to receive a head of the tie rod, the opening communicating with the slot, and said outer surface also having formed therein and extending therethrough a square notch which communicates with the enlarged opening at a point different from the point of communication between the enlarged opening and the longitudinal slot.

4. A tie for concrete forms comprising a rod having a plurality of spaced heads adjacent one end thereof and a wedge constructed and arranged .to coact with any one of said heads to tighten the rod, the oppositely facing parts of adjacent heads being spaced apart a less distance than the maximum take-up ofthe wedge.

5. In combination, a tie rod having a plurality of spaced heads adjacent one end thereof and a wedge, channeled in cross section to receive one head as the wedge is coacting with the next outer head and having a slot in its outer surface to receive the rod and having spaced bearing faces at its inner surface, the channel between said inner and outer surfaces being dimensioned to receive said head.

6. A tie for concrete forms comprising a rod having a plurality of spaced heads adjacent one end thereof and a wedge constructed and arranged to coact with any one of said heads to tighten the rod, said heads being spaced apart a less distance than the maximum take-up of the wedge, said rod having a flattened portion and said wedge having an opening to receive and fit said flattened portion 'of the rod.

7. A tie for concrete forms comprising a rod having a plurality of spaced heads adjacent one end and a wedge having bearing surfaces angularly inclined in relation to each other, one surface comprising bearing faces spaced from each other a distance at least as .great as the width of said heads, and the wedge having a longitudinal channel to receive one of the inner heads as the other wedge surface coacts with the adjacent outer head. 1

8. A tie for concrete forms comprising a rod having a plurality of spaced heads adjacent one end thereof and a wedge constructed and arranged to coact with any one of said heads to tighten the rod, the inner, wedge engageable surfaces of adjacent heads being spaced apart a less distance than the maximum take-up of the wedge.

DANIEL C. HUNGERFORD. 

